Raymond Reddington's Mona Lisa
by QuoteTheRaven52
Summary: Because it's a love story...
1. Chapter 1

**Raymond Reddington's Mona Lisa**

The chilled fall air felt good against the hot flesh of Raymond Reddington's face, sitting in the park by his townhouse. He had always loved that time of year the best, the changing colors of the crisp leaves, the sunsets that seem to just paint the sky red and pink almost as if the sky was a canvas. He found himself with a carefree smile gracing his lips as he was alone and able to let down his barriers temporarily and just be himself. So much had happened since he had turned himself into the FBI. They had managed to already complete eight of his blacklist targets, and he had to admit he was impressed. Upon his arrival he was less than confident in the team that had been assigned to Director Cooper, where to start. He almost chuckled aloud as he thought about them all. His least favorite had to be Donald, he was just too smug and quite frankly he came off as being a man of lesser intelligence. Agent Meera Malik he had yet to fully get a good impression of, but she seemed to be very intelligent and both book and street smart. Director Harold Cooper was a fascinating man, with a past that Red was all too familiar with from…well let's just say business years prior. Raymond found himself fully smiling his head tilted slightly to the right thinking of the only agent that he truly cared anything about, her name was Elizabeth Keen. His reason for returning, his reason for trusting…she was his reason.

Reddington found his train of deep thought rudely interrupted by the shrilling of his cell phone, sighing softly he retrieved it from his jacket pocket and pressed the device to his ear. His voice was deep yet possessed an attribute as smooth as silk as he spoke.

"Ah Lizzie, to what do I owe this great pleasure?"

Elizabeth Keens voice clearly let him know from her tone that she was not amused. "Listen I don't have time to beat around the bush, I need you to meet me at the Guild Runway off of Highway 41 in a half an hour."

His eye brows furrowed a bit as he sat up a bit straighter glancing around. "And just why would I do that Agent Keen?"

Her voice was flat as she responded. "Because I..." She sighed and hesitated for a few seconds before continuing. "I need your help."

A deep bodied chuckle escaped his throat as he heard her response and stood up from the bench. "That is all you ever have to say to me Elizabeth, and I am your service. I shall meet you in a half an hour promptly."

Reddington hung up with Elizabeth before dialing Dembe to come and pick him up and take him to his requested destination. He couldn't help but wonder most of the ride why she needed to meet him at an airstrip that he knew for a fact was abandoned and had been for some time. Perhaps it was for a case they were working on the side, or perhaps it was for a personal matter. He knew she didn't quite trust him yet, and what trust he had earned from her seemed to be lost when somehow her husband Tom had managed to get away clean. It would only be a matter of time before the truth was revealed, but as of lately Raymond Reddington was not the patient man he used to pride himself on being.

Dembe pulled up to the abandoned landing strip and spotted the opened gate and drove on inside before parking next to Agent Keen's black government issued SUV. Reddington looked around not seeing anyone but Elizabeth as she climbed out of her vehicle. He placed his two hundred and twenty five dollar Knox dent fedora hat on and then smoothly exited the vehicle before motioning for Dembe to go ahead and leave him there with Elizabeth.

As Raymond approached Elizabeth he noted that she held herself in a somewhat defensive stance, her arms practically hugging herself in an attempt to hide the fact that she was vulnerable. He walked to stand just in front of her and slipped his hands into his pockets, his rose tented sunglasses not fully hiding the look of questioning in his eyes as he was confused as to why she had summoned his presence.

"Alright Lizzie, here I am…what do you exactly need my help with?"

Elizabeth tried to maintain a strong composure but her body fidgeted as she thought of a way to tell him exactly why she had called him to come meet her. "Red I…I found something…and I just don't know what to make of it. Part of me wants to just brush it to the side and say it's nothing, but the other part of me is saying something is…wrong."

Reddington took his glasses off becoming more and more quizzical as well as concerned as he listened to her speak. "What exactly is it that you found Lizzie?"

Her eyes rose to meet his for the first time since they had been there and she couldn't hide the wall of tears that were threatening to overflow at any moment. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a silver necklace with a pendant. To many it would seem just like any other pendant but Lizzie had seen it before and if she had remembered correctly, that pendant would change her life forever.

Reddington took a step forward, keeping all emotions off of his face and out of his eyes as he gently took the necklace from her and studied the pendant silently for a few moments. Her heart rate was ascending as she waited for him to say something or at least give her a look so she would know. Pursing his lips he looked up at Lizzie, his head tilted as he watched her trying to read him.

"Lizzie…I tried to tell you about your husband but..."

She cut him off, letting her emotions start to come out. "No buts Red, what does that mean? What is it, and why does he have it?" Her eyes held a glare that to another other than the 'Concierge of Crime' would have been intimidating. He held the pendant up that resembled a military dog tag but was smaller so she could see exactly what he spoke about.

"The shape of this particular pendant shows rank structure, a soldier, an enforcer. If you look closer the coat of arms shows a serpent coiled around a sword with markings that I don't suppose you are very fluent with. They are in fact Russian and they read, "Смерть придет быстрее." Red lifted his eyes to lock with Lizzie's and his voice held an icy undertone as he translated the Russian for her. "Death shall come swiftly…Lizzie your husband is a killer."

Elizabeth staggered back and gasped after he spoke, shaking her head with denial while her emotions fully took over and she let herself fall apart in front of Red. Sobs started to rack her body as her hands moved to shield her face from him. She was surprised to feel the warmth of his hands gripping her arms after a few seconds and before she could register what she was doing she had buried her face into the center of his chest, with her arms moving around his neck tightly.

He welcomed her into his embrace, his right hand moving to gently cradle the back of her head while his left hand kept a firm grip on her lower back. An emotional man he was not, however when it came to Elizabeth Keen the rules he had lived by for the past twenty five years, the rules some of which he had created and others had followed…had to be broken in order to make her feel safe. Reddington leaned the top of his chin gently against her head and took in the scent of her shampoo as he closed his eyes. The scent of Coconut and Shea made a blissful attack on his senses as his left hand started to gently rub her lower back in a soothing manner.

It seemed like he had gotten to hold her for hours instead of mere minutes, and while it was partially selfish on his behalf for enjoying the intimate moment he reluctantly released her when she started to pull away. She began to speak when this time he was the one to cut her off.

"I am going to send Dembe and Luli for some of your things, you will be staying with me tonight and in the morning we will discuss what options there are for Thomas Vincent Keen."

His tone was one of not a suggestion but a fact, and she was too vulnerable and physically tired to argue with him. Lifting her face her dark chocolate eyes met with his icy blue orbs before he replaced his sunglasses. Questions were starting to swirl in Lizzie's mind, but surprisingly the one that stood out the most had nothing to do with Tom….it had nothing to do with the current situation…it had to do with the one and only Raymond Reddington and the fact that for a split moment while he had been consoling her, she felt…no…it couldn't be that.

Could it?


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

As promised Dembe and Luli had went to Elizabeth's home while Tom was still at work and had gotten a suitcase of her clothes, as well as some of her toiletries. Reddington had finally gotten her situated in his guest room and laid down to rest before he headed to his study and sat down, staring at the ice as it melted in his scotch glass. His mind wandering to Thomas Keen, and he blamed himself for not taking care of this 'problem' sooner. He hated to see Lizzie in pain, but he would not allow himself to show his emotions. The smooth music from the record player across the room allowed his mind to ease, bouncing along with the melody of Sinatra's sultry voice. Raising the cool glass he allowed the poignant liquid to move past his lips, and burn its way down to his stomach. The burning had become one of the only signs to him that he was indeed able to feel in the latter years of his life. He had kept himself distanced from people, not allowing anyone to get close to him. Yes he did hold a special bond with Dembe, as well as Luli. He trusted them with his safety, and yes he had come to gain some personal satisfaction with Luli that every man needed from time to time. But if need be, he would have no problem with turning his back and walking away from both of them. The only person he found himself doubting his abilities to leave and turn his back on was indeed Elizabeth Keen.

Hours into the dead of night Elizabeth woke up in a cold sweat, and sat straight up in bed. Her breathing was labored, her hands tightly clenching the bed sheets that she had cocooned herself in to the point that her fingernails though not visible due to the darkness of the room were white instead of pink. She had a nightmare, it had seemed so real. Right down to the smells, the voices, the feeling in her gut of danger_. There had been the distinct smell of sulfur in the air, and copper which made her tongue salivate as she was walking into the dining room of her home. It had felt so cold, she could see her own breath as her eyes moved to lock on the figure of a woman lying in a pool of blood. Her eyes were glazed and held a bluish grey tent over the usual brown orbs, and her mouth was slightly agape. The gaping wound that spanned her entire throat was one of skill, no doubt she had bled out quickly. The entire room felt as if it had spun instead of her turning her body around, hearing heavy footsteps on the loose boards of the wooden floor directly beforehand. The pitter patter of blood dripping slowly off of the tip of a knife blade was distinct. There she found herself face to face, and eye to eye with the man who had so professionally taken her life. He seemed so familiar, yet his eyes held a gaze that was just not the same man. When she spoke her voice was that of a whisper, cracking and weak._

"_Tom…" _

Elizabeth quickly made her way out of the bed and flipped the light on as her tears from earlier reappeared and she ran a hand through her unruly hair. What was she going to do? She couldn't go home now, not knowing what she knew. She must have cried louder than she thought because the light rapping on her door let her know that Red was now awake, his voice actually gentle through the door as he spoke her name in a questioning manner. She sniffled and opened the door, letting her now red and itchy eyes meet with his surprisingly concerned blue ones.

His voice held a concerned conviction as he spoke through raspy and tired tones, "Are you alright Lizzie?"

She frowned and felt embarrassed that she had obviously woken him up as she was crying.

"I'm sorry, yes I just…I had a bad dream and it…got to me is all." Her eyes pleaded with him to leave it at that but somehow she knew it wouldn't be that simple, and she was right. Reddington nodded but then casually strode into her room and placed a hand on her arm, right behind her elbow and walked her back to the bed, sitting her down and moving to sit next to her.

"Listen Lizzie…it's going to take time but things will get better. If you'd like I've found that sometimes, talking it out does in fact help. Do you want to talk about your dream?"

She shook her head and stared down at her hands, managing to keep it together as long as she didn't look at him. That was until his left hand found hers and gently covered it. Her eyes were fixed on their hands joined together for a few seconds before she turned her head and looked over at him, as vulnerable as she had ever been in front of him before and not liking it. She tried to deny the light tingling sensation she felt from his touch, it had happened the first time he had held her hand in the park when he had first warned her about Tom.

As she told him the last details she remembered of her dream she suddenly realized that during the course of her talking she had moved closer to him. His arms now around her with one hand gently stroking her hair while her cheek rested against his chest. Her arms around his midsection, clinging to him as if she was afraid if she let go he would disappear. She found his embrace to be more soothing than she would ever admit, feeling safer than she had in a long time. When he let go of her she felt ashamed to say she suddenly missed his touch, and as he moved to the door to bid her goodnight again she bit her bottom lip and forced her cracked voice to say, "Would you stay?"

Reddington's body froze with his hand on the door knob, and his back to her upon hearing her question. It took him a few seconds before he turned around to face her general direction, and he spoke, "You want me to stay with you?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly looking him in the eyes as she nervously rubbed her scar with her fingertips, something she had done since she was a child.

"Yes, please stay with me…you make me feel safer."

Hearing her admission he gave a charming yet subtle smile and closed the door to the guest room, before he made his way back over to the bed and sat on the edge as she covered herself back up. His eyes scanning her face while his right hand moved to gently rub her back as he whispered, "Close your eyes Lizzie, I'll be right here when you wake up."

It only took a few minutes for her to fall back into a slumber and he sat there and watched her as her breathing slowed, and he released a soft sigh as his eyes started adjusting to the darkness. He would protect her no matter what, even if it meant giving his own life. He only hoped that when everything was said and done she would be able to forgive him for the secrets he had been, and still was withholding from her. Facts that deep down he knew she deserved to know about, but was not yet strong enough to deal with emotionally or mentally. One day she would know his true inhibitions for choosing her, one day she would have the answers to all her questions except for maybe just one, and most importantly he hoped she would be able to forgive him for his deepest and darkest secret, the worst sin he had ever committed.

As daylight broke its way hastily through the long burgundy curtains of the guest room Elizabeth awoke feeling much better than she had before, but as she turned to move she found herself pinned down and panic quickly set in. Lifting the sheets as much as she could she recognized the hand that was possessively holding to her and she swallowed the hard lump in her throat. Resting her head back down on her pillow, trying to think of how to not wake him while slipping out of the bed and his embrace. Her eyes closed involuntarily as she felt the feeling of his warm breath on the back of her neck. She felt the blush rising on her cheeks as her body shivered. She had finally managed to get ahold of herself until he moved in his sleep and completely pulled her body back and flush against his. Lizzie's eyes widened when she swore she heard him make a distinct noise in his sleep. She didn't know where her sudden courage came from but she slowly managed to turn her body around until his hand which was previously on her stomach was moved to her lower back and her face was inches away from his.

She took in his features, he seemed to look younger as he slept. The tension wasn't present on his face, and without thinking she slowly lifted her hand up and touched his cheek with the gentlest of touches. His light stubble pricked her fingertips as she traced his cheekbone and her breathing started to escalate. It wasn't until his eyes opened though and locked with hers that she held her breath, she was frozen and unable to move her hand, and then she heard his voice.

"Lizzie…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Reddington's voice made Lizzie freeze, her hand still gently placed on his cheek as their eye's met and locked in place. Her chest falling and rising quicker than usual as he didn't blink but moved his hand that was placed on her lower back to her waist and he gripped lightly before slowly pulling away and sitting up rubbing his face with his hands. Elizabeth bit her bottom lip before she too sat up and looked over at him, unsure of what had come over her.

"Raymond I...I didn't mean to wake you or to make you feel.."

His voice was raspy as he spoke. "Uncomfortable? You didn't."

She nodded and went to say something else but he stood up halting her, and without as much as another word he left the room. Once she had heard his bedroom door shut she finally let herself sigh as she stood up. Her mind was running from her, 'What the hell was that? Why did you touch him? Were you going to ki...' Elizabeth's inner rant was interrupted by Red's voice from down the hall telling her that breakfast would be ready in twenty minutes. Her heart raced as she cleared her throat and told him that she would be downstairs shortly. Moving into the bathroom after finding a clean outfit to wear she took a quick shower and then as promised made her way downstairs. Red was sitting at the head of the medium sized table with a newspaper in hand, his white dress shirt with skinny light blue lines was crisp as usual. Lizzie couldn't see his face but she could tell from his posture he was back to his usual self. But what had her mind wandering was why he had reacted the way he did upstairs. Why didn't Raymond Reddington, the Concierge of Crime just tell her in his adamant tone that she was being inappropriate since it obviously had bothered him?

Breakfast went by with small talk of work, and smug side notes from Reddington which was not surprising. Elizabeth had started to forget about the scene that had or rather had not played out upstairs, and by the time they were both sitting in the briefing room with Director Cooper explaining their future objectives she had completely forgotten about it. She had thought about telling Cooper of her temporary living arrangement but then would quickly get rid of the notion thinking of how fast Cooper and the bureau would have her ass in a vice for staying with her assigned criminal mastermind. She had been so focused on her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed Cooper asking her a question until she felt everyone's eyes on her. Looking up she looked like a deer caught in the headlights and swallowed hard.

"Um…could you repeat the question please?"

Cooper's frown made her want to wince but she didn't. He sighed and gave her a sterner look as he spoke.

"I said Agent Keen, are you going to have a problem with this undercover operation? You will have to find something to tell your husband, this is classified he cannot hear a word of this and I hope you understand that."

Realizing that she had completely screwed up by day dreaming she just shook her head and closed her notebook, giving a fake smile as she did so.

"No sir, no issues at all and I assure you that my husband will not be an issue."

Cooper nodded and looked pleased again before he stood and told everyone that they were released to head back to work. Placing her things under her arm and picking up her coffee Elizabeth headed to her office, praying that she had not just agreed to some awful undercover operation. Not even a minute after she had sat down behind her desk she heard her door shut and Reddington's voice beamed at her with a charming yet smug way about it.

"Agent Keen, I have it under good authority that you have no idea what our current mission is am I correct?"

Grinning he removed his hat and made himself comfy in one of her chairs, and then crossed his right leg over his left. Her face told him that he was indeed correct which made him smile more and made her turn a bit red.

"You're going to be my wife Lizzie."

Her eye's widened as she did not follow, and she leaned forward a bit in her chair.

"Excuse me?"

Raymond chuckled a bit and pursed his lips still smiling.

"You and I will be posing as a married couple, don't worry it is only for the evening time dinners in the city and after those dinners are over with we go back to being Agent Keen and Raymond Reddington. Now, I have already taken it upon myself to have Luli go and buy you an elegant but stunning evening dress which you will find in your room upon your arrival back to the house."

Elizabeth looked even more confused but nodded, watching as he stood up, placed his hat back on, and; moved towards her door to leave.

"Wait…where are you going? Shouldn't we be going over our roles, suspects, targets?"

His chuckle was deep and throaty as he opened the door partially and then turned to look at her.

"Agent Keen I am a business man, I told you before I must keep up appearance. I have a meeting to attend in Florida and then I will return. I assure you that I have the upmost confidence in your acting abilities and we will be fine."

With that being said Reddington left her office, closing her door behind him. Elizabeth sighed and sat back all the way in her seat and placed her pen down thinking about everything he had just said. The entire time he was gone which was most of the day, Lizzie took her time pouring over case files and notes that pertained to their suspects, and their covers. She didn't want to miss anything and slip up, and be the one who caused an operation meltdown. Not to mention she didn't want to place herself or anyone else in danger.

Looking over at her clock she decided it was time to close up shop and head to Reddington's to get ready. She still had no idea what kind of dress he had actually gotten Luli to buy, but she honestly wasn't that worried. As much as she hated to admit it, Raymond Reddington knew how to dress probably better than she did. He was a man of elegant tastes, and it was something that she personally admired about him.

Upon pulling into his driveway she spotted his car in the garage and wondered how long he had been back from Florida, and why he hadn't come back to go over anything with her. Shaking her head she got out and made her way inside and looked over seeing him laughing with Dembe already in his tux, comfortable as always. Without saying anything she made her way up to her room, but when she opened the door and saw the long and sleek white dress laying on the bed she stopped and took a quick breath in. The dress itself was flowing, it gave off a sparkle all of its own, and she swore it had cost more than her own wedding dress. An hour went by and she had finally gotten her hair to co-operate with her and finished with her makeup. She felt almost nervous once she had placed the dress on, like a child in an aisle of glass trinkets afraid to break something. Glancing at herself one more time in the mirror she took a deep breath and smiled, admitting to herself that she did look good, and she felt good.

Lizzie made her way downstairs and grabbed her purse before walking into the den where she knew she would find Reddington, no doubt still carrying on conversation with Dembe. She thought she had done something wrong when Dembe stopped midsentence and just stared at her. Taking a step back she pointed to the living room and went to say she hadn't mean to interrupt when Red turned around and his mouth went slightly agape as he looked at her. It wasn't a sight she was used to seeing, Raymond Reddington was…speechless? Letting his head tilt to the side and a smile slowly grace his lips he made his way over to stand in close proximity to her.

"Elizabeth you look stunning my dear, absolutely stunning. I only hope that your radiance doesn't give away our secret that we truly aren't married."

She couldn't hide the blush that rose into her cheeks as she smiled and thanked him. He placed a hand gently but very lightly on her lower back as he motioned with his head to Dembe to make his way to the car, with them following. Once in the backseat of the car Red finally looked at her and spoke business.

"Alright, so we have been married for three years, no children. You my dear are an accountant for the Koehler Group, and I work in the import/export business. I told Cooper that I thought it was best we leave the small details to our imaginations because in my experience trying to memorize things such as that sometimes become tricky and will ultimately give away our covers. So…we will play off of one another, so remember to pay attention and just smile. If for some reason something happens or a question is asked that you can't find an answer to I want you to just squeeze my hand and I will take over."

Elizabeth nodded and started to get nervous but pushed it aside. She had turned her phone off, afraid of Tom somehow tracking her down since she hadn't spoken to him and ruining everyone. Although she was almost positive that Red had probably taken care of Tom interfering with anything at the moment. Clearing her mind she took a deep breath, knowing she had to be at her best for this, she had to be sharp, and her facial features had to play the part of a perfect mask for this giant lie.

Feeling the car slowing and then stopping she looked at Reddington and gave a small smile to him and nodded showing him that she was indeed ready. Nodding back at her he exited the vehicle and walked around to her door and opened it for her, before extending his arm for her to take which she did. Red gave a wink to Dembe before they turned and started to make their way inside the giant building which had once doubled as an Art Exhibit Hall. Reddington gave his name to the hostess at the door and within a few minutes they had been shown their way to their table and were seated waiting for the wine that he ordered.

They had both been on high alert as they glanced around, scanning for their target but neither finding him yet. Elizabeth was getting slightly nervous and had started tapping her finger on the butt end of her butter knife causing Red to slide a hand across the table and cover her hand with his. Her eyes rose up and locked with his as he gave her a small reassuring smile, eliciting a small smile from her before he glanced away again but his hand stayed in place over hers. She had started to relax until his thumb started rubbing small circles over her knuckles. His touch was surprisingly soft, and gently and made her skin tingle and she watched his facial expression which seemed stone cold as always.

Dinner went by with ease, they had actually laughed about a few small conversations. One of which Red couldn't help but make fun of Ressler trying to show one of the new agents a self-defense tactic, in which he had managed to hurt himself. Elizabeth was under the impression that they would be leaving shortly after dinner, but when Red stood and walked over extending his hand and asking for her to join him in a dance her eye's widened a little but she couldn't say no to her 'husband'. He smiled at her and placed a protective arm around her as they made their way to the dance floor and found an open spot. Turning his body he left his one hand on her lower back while she placed a hand on his shoulder, and then he placed his other hand out for her to take. They started to sway slowly together and she was thankful that he spoke first.

"Just relax, and I promise not to step on your feet my dear."

He smiled at her softly and made her laugh a little, thankful that he could lighten the mood as she looked up at him as he spoke again.

"I see our target, and he definitely received Cooper's package with my photo because he is continuing to watch me like some kind of vulture."

She swallowed hard and tightened her grip on his hand after hearing him which caused him to pull her closer as he whispered in her ear.

"Relax…I know this is the first time you've ever done this but I promise you Lizzie I will keep you safe."

For some reason unknown to her, she believed him and slipped her hand out of his and move it to join her other hand behind his neck and closed her eyes. She would tell herself that she was just in character, but somewhere deep down she knew she wasn't this good of an actress. Raymond was surprised slightly but welcomed her movements and slipped both arms around her waist as he gently nuzzled her cheek with his and they stayed that way for another minute or so until the song ended and they slowly broke apart. Raymond leaned in and whispered in her ear while reaching down and giving her hand a slight squeeze.

"Here he comes, just act relaxed and let me take care of it."

Smiling Raymond watched as the man approached and extend a hand introducing himself as Mr. Keel. He shook his hand and introduced Elizabeth as his wife to which she beamed a smile at the older man and told him that it was a pleasure to meet him. Raymond and the man started talking but in code, Elizabeth thankfully was able to keep up with the transaction but when a one of the waiter accidently popped a champagne bottle her instincts kicked in and she moved her hand to where her gun usually was and it did not go unnoticed by Mr. Keel or Reddington.

Ray watched as their target eye balled her suspiciously and then smiled excusing himself to the men's room. Once Mr. Keel had stepped away Reddington slowly pulled Elizabeth into a tight embrace which confused her until he whispered in her ear.

"Our friend just made you Lizzie, habits die hard. I need you to trust me completely and follow my lead from now on no matter what do you understand?"

Lizzie swallowed hard and squeezed his shoulder to tell him that she was in agreement to which he rubbed her lower back for a brief moment, keeping his eyes trained on the mirror that was behind her, showing him a perfect view of the men's room door. Once the door opened and he saw Mr. Keel walking back out he took a deep breath and pulled back enough to look at Elizabeth's eyes and gently slid a hand to her cheek much like she had done to his that morning. When her eyes met with his she felt her stomach start to flutter and before she could even think it Raymond leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a soft but steady kiss. His lips were soft, warm, and surprisingly delicate and as she found herself kissing him back she slid a hand to lay flat on his chest and couldn't stop herself from releasing a small moan. When he broke the kiss and slowly moved back his eyes were still closed, but when they opened and she saw the cloudiness that had melded itself with his usual cold blue eyes she knew she wasn't the only one that had felt something. Before she could build up the courage to say anything he pulled away and turned, apologizing to Mr. Keel who had been standing there watching them kiss. Elizabeth blushed but Red had obviously known what he was doing because it had worked. In under an hour from that point they found themselves walking inside his home together and Ressler had met them at a drop off point for their documents they had collected in that first night.

Elizabeth kicked her shoes off and winced flexing her feet as much as she could while he removed his bow tie and watched her. Without much of a thought about he moved over once she sat down and joined her on the couch, moving his hands down and placing her feet on his lap while his hands encased her left foot and started to gently apply pressure. She couldn't even attempt to refuse as her body gave in and her eyes closed.

"Thank you, they hurt so bad. I am not use to walking around in heels for that long."

He smiled and continued not saying anything to her, just letting her relax. After doing the same to her other foot he placed her feet back down and sat up a bit.

"You did a good job tonight Lizzie, the little incident we had was normal and you were reacting on instinct."

Her eyes opened and she looked at him and nodded giving a small smile.

"Thanks Raymond for…making me feel safe."

Red's eyes softened as she thanked him and he gave another gentle smile to her as he nodded slowly which made Lizzie's stomach start to get butterflies for the second time that night. She couldn't explain what had come over her but she somehow moved from her side of the couch to his and watched as his eyebrow rose right before she did the unthinkable, right before she kissed him. Taken off guard he didn't respond right away but that didn't stop her from moving her right hand to slide up his chest to grip the side of his neck, eliciting a soft sigh from him as he started to kiss her back slowly.

Her tongue bravely snuck out and the tip of it ran swiftly across his bottom lip, begging for entry which he granted; and as their tongues met for the first time in a slow but hypnotic battle Lizzie pulled herself closer to him while his hands moved to grip her waist. Moaning into his mouth she started to deepen the kiss even more when Raymond pulled back breathless and looked at her, his voice soft with a tinge of sadness.

"Lizzie…we can't do this this."

Elizabeth locked her eyes with his as he spoke and started to catch her breath before she spoke.

"Raymond…."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Raymond's breath alluded his usual conveyance to hide his feelings as it hitched slightly due to her tone, and his eye's locked with hers. A silence overtaking the room for what seemed like hours but was merely seconds. Elizabeth's eyes trying to tell him what she could not muster into words. His Adams apple bobbed sharply as he swallowed hard and finally blinked.

" Lizzie…you are a very intelligent young woman. Don't let yourself be pulled into mischief by the audacity of chance or mystery."

Reddington pulled away from her slowly and moved to stand before walking slowly over to the window he loved to watch the sunrise and set in on days he felt his barriers trying to collapse. As he spoke his words were preceded by a tone that could only be held closest to that of a chilling tale.

"You don't know me Elizabeth…you have only seen bits and pieces of the man I truly am. You've said it yourself and I know it to be true, I am a monster. I kill with no remorse, I scar without thought, maim with no disregard. Inside of this witty and charming persona I use is a man that is ugly, cold, and will always be as such due to the life I have chosen as my own."

Elizabeth watched him, unmoving from her position on the couch as she listened intently to the words that dripped from his tongue like cyanide. There was a slight pause before the only sound that could be heard was the movement of her leaving her spot on the leather couch, and then her bare feet padding the plush carpet, heading in his direction slowly. She didn't touch him as she stood a few inches behind him, canted slightly to his right side as she spoke in a hushed tone.

"A man should not be measured by his wrong doings, but by what he truly holds inside of himself…in his heart. You may kill, you may…say that you feel no remorse or sympathy but I know that to be an untrue statement. Your face may hide the sadness but your eyes tell a different story Red."

He shifted slightly as her warm hands found his shoulders, her fingertips pressing down lightly against the warm fabric of his white shirt. Moving slowly she walked to stand adjacent to him as she looked at his face.

"I want to know you…"

His voice was almost in a pleading tone as he slowly shook his head and released a sigh, and his head turned slowly to let his eyes look at her.

"Please…don't do this."

The pleading look she found in his eyes made her breathing quicken as she placed a hand on his chest. She knew she should be listening to him but something inside her made her shake her head and move closer to him. Her face inches from his, his breath tickling her lips as it became slightly elevated from her close proximity. His eyes seemed to change as they shifted down to her lips and then back up to lock with her own eyes. Elizabeth was caught off guard when he moved in and closed the distance between them that time, her bottom lip caught between his lips as she moved both hands to grip the fabric of his navy blue vest. Sighing into the searing kiss he moved his hands to her waist and pulled her body flush against his, to which she responded with a soft moan.

Moving from the window Red walked her backwards towards the couch as their tongues met in a ritualistic dance. Her hands moving to unbutton his vest and then slid it off of his shoulders to land in a heap on the floor, to be forgotten about for the time being. When the back of her knees hit the leather couch she lowered herself down while he slid a knee between her legs and followed suit, moving on top of her. His hands slid up from the back of her knees, taking her dress and bunching it up as he did so. Her skin so soft, like that of a forbidden velvet he had only dreamed of before. His lips moved in a needy fashion from hers to her jawline, his tongue tasting the sweet salt of her skin there before they found her earlobe. The feel of his hot breath against her ear caused her body to arch up against his as her hands mapped out the area of his shoulders and upper back, clenching the fabric between her fingers and tugging at it.

Lizzie moved her hands to the front of his shoulders and pushed him away slightly before her fingers gripped the front of his shirt, his eyes burning into hers as she pulled on his shirt with enough force to send the buttons to bury themselves into the carpet, a few falling into the cracks of the couch cushion. Her eyes dropped from his to take in the scars on his chest, her fingers gently running over them caused his eyes to close, and when she leant her body up and her lips caressed them he let out a quick breath as his jaws clenched. Pulling away softly she nudged him to stand before she did the same and then turned. Holding her hair to the side and turning her head she exposed the zipper of her dress to him. Instead of his hands moving to unzip her dress they fell to grip her waist as he rested his face against the top of her hair, taking in the scent of her shampoo before speaking in a deep and aroused tone.

"Not here Lizzie…"

Before she could speak he guided her with his hands to walk towards a closed door off to the right side of the room. Turning the handle he opened it and ushered her inside, a firm grip with one hand still on her waist. Her eyes took in the sight before her of his bedroom, the fine pieces of artwork on the walls, the dark wooden and elegant frame of his bed that was adorned with dark burgundy sheets and no comforter. Her eyes closed as she felt the cool breeze of air blossoming against her skin as his hands undid the zipper of her dress, and it pooled around her feet. His hand found hers as she stepped out of it before she turned and slid his now tattered white shirt off of his shoulders to join her dress on the floor. Taking in his physical appearance he was more muscular than she had originally thought when her mind had often wandered after he would unbutton the first two buttons of his shirt after their work day had ended.

Her hands moved, shaking slightly from the anticipation to the button of his trousers and then to the zipper. She could feel his erection pressing firmly against the zipper as she did so, and the look on his face while somewhat startling at how focused was also extremely arousing. Red stepped out of his trousers and eagerly moved her to lay back on his bed before covering her body with his. The feeling of her hot skin against his caused a jolt in his senses as his right hand slid down her side and then to her waist where he hooked the waistband of her panties with his forefinger. Her soft moans filled the room as his lips feasted on the newly revealed flesh of her breasts, and her nails dug lightly into the skin of his back when his tongue encircled her left nipple before encasing it with his mouth and sucking slowly. He continued his torture slowly as he made his way down her body, until he was level with her belly button. Glancing up at her face he watched her as he slid her panties down and then off, tossing them to land somewhere by the door. Red took a deep breath in as he leant down, placing an open mouthed kiss over her hipbone and took in the sweet succulent smell of her arousal. Elizabeth's legs spread wider for him as his teeth nibbled at her inner thighs, and then moaned again when she felt his thumbs dipping into her wetness to spread her apart. Her left hand gripped the sheets tightly while her right hand moved to grip his forearm as he lowered his mouth to her. His tongue started to make long and meticulous strides over her engorged bud, moaning at how sweet she tasted on his tongue while his taste buds enjoyed their splendor.

Her soft pants and moans encouraging him to continue, applying more pressure and accelerating his speed. Elizabeth's body started to continuously arch off of the soft sheets as her orgasm continued to build, finally reaching its peak as he took the pulsing bud into his mouth and sucking hard. His name spilling out of her lips in a long and drawn out moan, her nerve endings tingling all over her body from the rush. Releasing it from his mouth he made a final motion with his tongue before he started to kiss back up her abdomen. Her hands urging him up faster than the pace he was going at, and then pulling him down for a deep and urgent kiss, moaning at the taste of herself as his tongue pinned hers. Red's hands moved to slide his boxers down and then kicked them off with his feet before using his right hand on her knee to widen her legs for him. Breaking the kiss slowly her eyes met his in a final agreement as he guided himself slowly inside of her. Her eyes closed as her head pressed back against the pillow at the feel of him stretching, and filling her. Elizabeth's legs encircled his waist holding him in place as she adjusted, and after a few moments he began to slowly move his hips forward, a moan escaping his lips.

The feeling of her around him caused him to grip her waist with his right hand tightly, using all of his will power not to pound into her. Their breathing becoming more elevated as he moved his hips faster, moving to slide completely out of her to the tip before thrusting back in. Her hands slid down his back, reveling in the feeling of his muscles rippling beneath her fingertips. She urged him to go harder with a moan to which he obliged. The sounds of their bodies becoming one reverberating off of his bedroom walls as they raced to find that ultimate ecstasy they so greatly were seeking. Red buried his face in her neck, moaning and panting into her flesh as he felt her tightening around him, her hand sliding up his now glistening back before gripping the back of his neck and holding him tightly to her as she came hard around him. His name leaving her lips in a loud and strangled moan not once but twice before he released himself deep inside of her. His hips bucking almost frantically as he moaned her name against her skin, her body trembling beneath his as he collapsed holding her tightly. After a few moments to collect himself he slowly slid out of her with a reluctance and then moved to lay beside her and pull her close to him, encircling her with his arms as she continued to pant. Red leant his head over to place a kiss on the top of her head and then covered them with a sheet shortly before sleep overtook them.

Elizabeth awoke to the sunlight beaming in from a crack in the long drapes that adorned his bedroom window. Opening her eyes she focused on the sleeping man whose limbs were still tangled with hers in a tight embrace. He looked so much younger as he slept, the lines of worry and stress ceased to exist, his usually downward mouth was relaxed. Memories from the night prior flooded her memory, the sounds, the smells, the sensations all making her heart race a bit. Glancing over at the clock she bit her lip seeing it was after seven in the morning, a small smile graced her lips as she thought about how she hadn't slept so long or peacefully in such a longtime. Red's body shifted, his breathing quickened signaling to her that he was indeed awake, and fear set in as she wondered how he would react to everything that had happened between them. She lifted her head once again and was met with his greyish blue eyes staring at her, the small hairs on the back of her neck raising.

"Good morning Lizzie."

His tone held no clues as to how he was feeling, and it gave her a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Biting her lip she reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Good morning Raymond."

Red's face didn't falter to offer her any sign as to what he was feeling, but when he moved to sit up and then got out of the bed and opened his closet and started to pull out what suit he was going to wear for the day she started to panic slightly and sat up, pulling the cool sheets around her body. He slipped on a clean pair of boxers before speaking with his back to her.

"Breakfast will be on the table in a half an hour, and Dembe will have the car ready to leave and head to the black site at promptly nine o'clock."

His cold and seemingly distant tone made her stomach twist before she simply said ok and then watched as he disappeared into his bathroom, the door closing behind him followed by the sound of the shower running. Elizabeth quickly removed herself from his sheets and grabbed her clothing before hurriedly exiting his room and going to hers, tears forming in her eyes that she vowed to not spill. She couldn't get into the shower fast enough, letting the hot water soothe her as she let her tears mix with the water rolling off of her face.

Raymond stood in the shower with his palms flat against the cool tiles, his eyes trained on the water circling its way into the drain by his feet as he thought about how much the previous night actually had meant to him. He closed his eyes mentally telling himself that he would never be able to slip his barriers down again, he could not bear the thought of her leaving him, the thought of feeling his heart break again as it did when he lost his wife and daughter. Turning the shower off he grabbed a white towel from the rack and dried himself off before moving to stand at the sink, staring at himself in the mirror as he questioned who he really was. Making quick work of shaving and brushing his teeth he moved back to the bedroom and avoided making eye contact with his bed, not knowing if he could fight the memories. He got dressed in a dark black suit and vest, no tie and went to close his closet door when his eyes landed on a black spiraled book and it lingered there before he slowly closed the door and composed himself.

The entire night she had only been a few feet away from every answer she had been seeking. Every detail of why he chose her, how he knew her so intimately, and what her past was in correlation to him. The details that would make her truly despise him and wish that he had never beckoned her name. But that book would stay there, hidden and securely tucked away as it had since his arrival so long as he could help it. But not even Raymond Reddington could have predicted what was in store for him and his life, or hers for that matter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Elizabeth had chosen to skip breakfast, knowing she wouldn't be able to stand being near Red after everything that had happened. She could picture it in her mind, his calm and usual demeanor laced with witty comments and a slight charm about it as if nothing had ever taken place. Instead she chose to wait until just before nine and then headed outside and met Raymond in the back seat of his car, with Dembe in the driver seat. She kept her gaze steady out the window as they drove, and Reddington noticed. Pursing his lips he decided it best to not say anything and just let her be, at one point or another she would she would grow to hate him again and he needed it to be that way.

Luli was their first stop, Red had sent her to check up on a looming business proposition out by the airport. The car slowed to a stop in an abandoned alley way just south of the city, Elizabeth with a confused look on her face finally spoke.

"What are we doing here, I thought we were going to work?"

Red turned his head and glanced at her, his tone flat as he spoke.

"We are, but were picking up Luli first. I had her attending to some business matters for me, after all I must keep up face Agent Keen."

Elizabeth refrained from rolling her eyes and sat back as she watched Luli walking towards the car, she had often wondered just what his relationship with the woman was. She had been at his home on more than one occasion to witness Luli wearing nothing but one of his shirts. Not to mention when she was first introduced to the team Red had kissed her for everyone to witness and seemed quite proud of it.

Shaking her head she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind as the car started to slowly move again, this time in the direction of the black site. Dembe and Luli talked about how things went with the meeting, with Red chiming in from time to time as Lizzie remained silent. When the time came she was the first one out of the vehicle, not looking back or waiting for anyone as she went inside and headed straight for her office but was sidetracked by Director Cooper who beckoned her name with an urgency as he rushed down the hall.

Her eye's narrowed but she quickly followed him, wondering what was so urgent that he was appearing almost in a panic. When she entered the battle room it was flooded with agents in tactical gear, and Reddington was somehow already in there. His arms were crossed and a pained expression on his face as he spoke with Agent Ressler. Elizabeth made her way over to Cooper and glanced around one more time before speaking.

"What is going on?"

Cooper sighed as he looked at Agent Keen, his voice stern as he spoke.

"We just received intelligence from an anonymous caller that there is a threat somewhere in the building. Now, we have called a code Red and alerted Quantico. Our units here are prepared and suited up, but the problem we are facing is the fact that about ten minutes ago all of our communications went down and we don't know why."

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she took in the information that Cooper was giving her before she turned and looked over at Reddington.

"I take it that Reddington has something to do with this, yes?"

Cooper nodded and started to re-strap his bullet proof vest.

"It appears someone wants him just as bad as we do. You need to get your vest on and be on full alert. I am having Ressler escort him to his cell, and we will stand dormant until any further progress is made. We will use this room as our meet up point until communications are restored, until then keep your eyes and ears open."

Elizabeth nodded and spun on her heels and headed to the locker room. Using her key she unlocked her locker and pulled out her vest and back up service weapon just as the lights went out. There was a slight flicker as the back-up generator came on and she flinched hearing gunshots and then loud yelling coming from the hallways. It took her mere seconds to react as she took the safety off of her service pistol, slowly and cautiously making her way to the door before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves as best as she could.

Turning the corner she made her way out of the door with her gun drawn and kept her side pressed against the wall, making slow even strides as she walked. Her eyes flickering back and forth with caution. She hadn't made it but a few feet down the hallway when she felt a hand slip around her mouth and she found herself being yanked into the doorway of the gym. Before she had time to react she felt his hot breath on her ear and then heard his voice.

"Shh…be very quiet Lizzie."

Reddington let go of her and she spun around glaring at him before the glare faded as she took in his appearance. His vest opened, the usual white dress shirt stained with dark crimson blood from the left side of his collar down to his stomach in patches. Her eyes moved to his face which too was speckled.

"What the hell happened Red?!" She whispered but with a higher range than usual, showing her distress.

He shook his head and swallowed hard.

"I'm afraid Donald has been shot in the leg, he's lost a lot of blood." He turned motioning to the gym mats behind him where she saw Agent Ressler laying on his back, unconscious with Red's blue and white patterned tie around his thigh, a gaping wound just below the knot he had tied with blood still trickling out of it and into a puddle. Elizabeth gasped and then looked at Reddington again.

"What do we do?"

Peaking his head out the doorway before slipping back in he looked at her. "I want you to stay here with Donald, I made a homemade tourniquet so the bleeding is to a minimal at the moment but he will die if he does not get medical attention within the next few hours."

Her eyes widened with slight panic as she glanced from him to Ressler and then back to Reddington.

"Wait…where are you going?"

He held up Agent Ressler's service weapon and checked to make sure it was fully loaded before turning his attention back to her.

"I have to find Dembe and Cooper, now stay here, lay low and continue to check on him. Do not let him try and move that leg."

With that Reddington was gone and Elizabeth was overwhelmed as she made her way over to sit next to Ressler. Reaching down she placed two fingers over his neck and started to take his pulse, if things didn't change she would probably be the last one to see him alive.

Over an hour had passed and Reddington had located Dembe as well as Director Cooper, he told them all the details about Agent Ressler and Agent Keen as well as their location. Deciding to split up Dembe took the task of going to the location of the wounded agent while Reddington and Cooper teamed up together to attempt to unravel the treacherous events that were occurring before their very eyes.

In his career Reddington had made quite a few enemies, it went with the territory but whoever this was had to be quite intelligent to infiltrate such a unit. They had to have access to an ungodly amount of firepower as well as surveillance to pull off a feat such as this one. Cooper had stepped inside of the battle room before Reddington and was caught off guard by one of the enemy, wrestling on the ground with the man clad in the camouflage uniform and tactical gear. Red heard the commotion and slowly entered the room and raised his weapon and was about to pull the trigger when he felt a jolt of electricity surge through his body, which caused him to crumple into the floor, his weapon sliding across the concrete surface just as his head made contact with the cold floor and everything faded to black.

When Reddington came too he winced and found that he couldn't hardly move, his wrists were chained above his head by a pulley system of some type mimicking the likes of a medieval dungeon chamber, his feet barely grazing the ground to give him just enough of a stance to temporarily take the strain off of his arms before he would lose traction and be hanging once again. The room he knew all too well as his foggy vision started to clear, as he recognized he was in his own cell that they had made for him upon his arrival. The bullet proof glass surrounded this newly found prison, his own sarcophagus. His muscles were weak and judging from the painful pull on his shoulder ligaments he knew he had been in this contraption for a few hours. Red closed his eyes willing the pain to go away but his body tensed as he heard his name in a British accent that he had never forgotten. Lifting his head slowly his eyes met with those of none other than Anslo Garrick, a man Red had attempted to kill years ago but managed to severely scar him instead. His face an ugly display now, with a scar that hook from his lower jaw all the way up around his eye on the right side, his mouth droopy as well due to the nerve and tissue damage, his eye glazed with a milky white tent showing his vision loss.

"Did you really think that I would not come for you Raymond? After all these years you my old friend still have held the number one spot in my book."

Reddington glared coldly at the man before him, watching as he continued to get closer and closer to him, gun in hand.

"Are you going to shoot me Anslo? Because if so I would advise you to not use center fire wadcutters, that's what I was using when I turned your face into...well...that. Does the eye bother you? Because it's truly hideous."

Anslo was not enthused and showed that quite clearly as he pistol whipped Reddington, causing him to wince as his body swung with his restraints, his tendons and ligaments stretching more. The taste of copper filled Red's mouth as the blood from the newly formed gash on his cheek trickled down to his lips. Looking up at the disfigured man before him, Red spit his blood effectively into Anslo's face and laughed a deep and sinister laugh.

"You can't win Anslo, even now it is an impossible feat."

Anslo wiped his face and glared.

"Oh really? Please explain that because I believe I already am winning."

Red shook his head and laughed again as he used his toes to take some of the pressure off of his arms and shoulders.

"You can't torture a man whose mind is already tortured, you can't maim a man who is already scarred, and you cannot kill a man who's soul is already dead my old friend."

Turning sideways but still looking at Reddington, Also began to walk out of the box of hell and motioned something to his people.

"But you see Raymond, I have the one thing left in this world that you do care about."

Anslo smiled wickedly as the agents including director Cooper were all brought in and lined up in front of Red's cell, almost like an audience about to watch a show, hands bound behind their backs with guns pointed at them from all angles. A door opened and soon Dembe came into his view with a limping and very pale Donald Ressler depending on him to walk.

"You see Raymond…I know your deepest and darkest secrets and worst of all for you…"

Anslo's voice halted for a moment before he reappeared with Agent Keen, her face bruised around her left eye and slightly bloody as he forced her down onto her knees and gripped the back of her head by her hair forcefully, his pistol moving to point at her temple.

"I have her…"


End file.
